Handbook for Quality Assurance in Higher Education The ... - TCU

STATEMENT FROM DAAD
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) as a joint organisation of higher education
institutions in Germany promotes international academic relations, primarily through the
exchange of students, academicians and researchers. The DAAD is the agency responsible
for raising the international profile of the German higher education institutions and simultaneously
serves as a “mediating organisation” in the foreign, European, development and higher
education policies of the Federal Republic of Germany. Within this frame the DAAD, jointly
with the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK), organises the Higher Education capacity development
programme referred to as DIES (Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies).
As its key component, DIES supports the establishment of regional Quality Assurance systems
in Higher Education in different parts of the world.
Based on this, IUCEA, DAAD and HRK have identified a number of activities to be carried out
in order to fully establish the East African Quality Assurance System such as (i) organising dialogue
events with top leadership of East African Universities, Ministries and Regulatory Bodies
on national and international Quality Assurance Systems in Higher Education (ii) intensively
training Quality Assurance Coordinators of the IUCEA Member Universities and officers of
Regulatory Bodies (iii) conducting pilot self-evaluations and peer reviews for about 50 study
programmes and (iv) developing subject specific regional benchmark standards. This initiative
has been financially supported by funds from the German Ministry for Economic Co-operation
on Development (BMZ). Many institutions in Germany and Europe have been providing technical
expertise. Most prominently the Project Quality Management of HRK, the University of
Oldenburg and institutions in the German State of Lower Saxony have been proactively supporting
the learning events.
The starting point of all this has been the development of the “Road Map to Quality”, the East
African Quality Assurance Handbook. A draft version was developed by a joint East African -
European expert group coordinated by Prof. Mayunga Nkunya and Drs. Ton Vroeijenstijn and
was approved by the Governing Board of the IUCEA. After this the handbook format and contents
have been permanently adapted on the basis of suggestions made by practioners and
lessons learned during the implementation of pilot programme assessments. The DAAD and
HRK are proud that IUCEA and its member institutions in the five countries (Burundi, Kenya,
Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda) have been selecting us as their international partners. We
are convinced that this handbook truly reflects the spirit of this joint initiative: highest international
standards are combined with down to earth practical instruments – and this gained the
formal endorsement by the relevant official bodies.
Gabriele von Fircks
Director,
DAAD Regional Office for Africa
Guidelines for Self Assessment
v
Christoph Hansert
Head,
DAAD Higher Education Management Unit
IUCEA/ CHE/ NCHE/ TCU/ DAAD